Online Poker California
California is a hub for poker, with more than 100 poker rooms scattered throughout the state. These are in card rooms and tribal casinos. Some, such as Commerce Casino and the Bicycle Casino, earn worldwide acclaim for hosting prominent poker events like the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker. Others, like Hustler Casino, have become popular for their cash games and live streams.
Meanwhile, online poker remains untouched by state laws. During the poker boom, years of debates revealed deep disagreements between card room operators and tribal casinos over how online poker should be handled. As a result, California still does not regulate online poker, and that is unlikely to change in the near future.
That said, offshore poker sites remain available to residents, and in this article, we recommend a few of the most trusted options for players in the Golden State.
Online poker for real money is not yet regulated in California. However, Californians can safely play on licensed offshore sites and legal sweepstakes platforms.
The Top California Online Poker Sites
Bonus 200% up to $1000
- Trusted brand with 20+ years of history
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- Soft games with plenty of recreational players
- Offers casino & sports betting alongside poker
Min Deposit
10
Payout Speed
10-15 Business Days
Everygame Poker is fully licensed by Curaçao and the Netherlands Antilles and offers a wide variety of cash game and online poker tournaments. Their software is available as both a PC downloadable client and a mobile-optimized web version. This site is perfect for players looking to grow their poker bankrolls at lower stakes. Join Everygame Poker here and claim a 200% match bonus!
Legality of Online Poker in California
| Online Poker | Available – Offshore Only |
| Commercial Poker | Available |
| Legal Gambling Age | 21+ |
| Poker Regulator | California Gambling Control Commission |
Is Gambling Legal in California?
| Type/Code | Summary |
|---|---|
| State Code Section(s) | PEN.1.9.10330-337; BPC.4-5 |
| Definition of Gambling | Gambling: To deal, operate, carry on, conduct, maintain, or expose for play any controlled game. |
| Definition of Banking Game or Banked Game | Banking game or banked game: Does not include a controlled game if the published rules of the game feature a player-dealer position and provide that this position must be continuously and systematically rotated amongst each of the participants during the play of the game, ensure that the player-dealer is able to win or lose only a fixed and limited wager during the play of the game, and preclude the house, another entity, a player, or an observer from maintaining or operating as a bank during the course of the game. |
| Online Poker/Gambling | For 10 years (2006-2016), lawmakers considered variations of online poker legislation but failed to pass one through both houses. Some special interests were placated through the years, but the tribes and card rooms could not find agreement on “bad actor” language. Lawmakers finally gave up after finding no compromises in 2016 and have yet to revisit the issue. |
| Live Poker | Live cash games and tournaments are permitted in more than 100 licensed card rooms throughout the state and casinos on Indian reservations. There are special rules pertaining to draw poker, which must be approved by voters in counties with large populations. |
| Casinos | In addition to card rooms that offer non-house-banked games like poker and California blackjack, casinos are located throughout the state on various Indian reservations. Most of those casinos are complete with table games, slot machines, and other games like keno and bingo. |
| Sports Betting | A bill introduced in 2017 to legalize sports betting was still in action in 2018 but had yet to pass as of the summer session. |
| DFS | California considered daily fantasy sports in 2016, but no bill passed, and there have been no proposals since. |
| Other Forms of Gambling | Lottery, pari-mutuel horse wagering, charitable gambling. |
Recent California Headlines for 2025
California has not legalized or regulated online poker, but state law does not prohibit residents from playing on offshore platforms. These sites operate outside US jurisdiction and continue to accept California-based players without legal risk.
No enforcement action has ever targeted individuals for playing real money poker online, as state authorities focus on those who profit and organize irregular gambling operations, not on individuals.
The state sets the legal gambling age for poker at 18, and most offshore platforms align with this, though some may require players to be 21. These sites typically offer both real money and free-play games, and many support browser-based access without requiring a software download.
To explore trusted options, you can view our poker site reviews or head directly to our list of real money poker rooms available to California players.
Last Big Update on California Online Poker
The most recent serious attempt to regulate online poker in California came in 2017, when Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer introduced AB 1677, a bill intended to establish a legal, state-licensed online poker framework. The effort followed nearly a decade of failed proposals but quickly ran into the same longstanding obstacles: disagreements between tribal casinos, commercial cardrooms, and race tracks over market access and licensing control.
Despite early interest, the bill failed to advance out of committee. No similar legislation has been introduced since, and lawmakers have shown little appetite to revisit the issue. As a result, California remains without a regulated online poker market, even as other states have moved forward with multi-state agreements and legal platforms.
Online Poker California Legislation
The path to legalized poker in California has been fraught with frustration and disappointments, failed negotiations and an unwillingness for tribes and card rooms to compromise in any meaningful fashion.
California lawmakers actually started discussing online poker bills during the poker boom, with the first bills proposed in 2008. Assemblyman Mike Gatto once claimed that ever year from 2008 to 2016 saw two to six gambling bills each year go from proposal to failure in various forms.
The most prolific year of California online poker bills was 2015, when Assemblymen Jones-Sawyer, Gatto, Adam Gray, and Isadore Hall proposed bills, some of which made it through committee approvals but failed to go further. Gray found similar committee success in 2016, even prompting race track entities to accept a subsidy to stay out of online poker. However, the broader California Assembly did not find the issue compelling enough to move forward.
That led to Jones-Sawyer introducing a bill in 2017 simply out of a dedication to the issue, but it expectedly failed to gain any traction. That was the last effort for any frustrated lawmakers.
The Basics of Playing Online Poker in California
You don’t need to know much about California to know that poker is massively popular in the state. Whether it’s the constant action at the state’s card rooms, the regular presence of California-based players on poker’s world stage, or the steady stream of online poker news coming from the state, everything points to one conclusion: Californians are playing Internet poker in numbers that far outstrip any other state in the US (and probably quite a few countries as well).
Like most poker players, they want to know they’re playing at a reputable site that offers a fair game. We recommend exclusively licensed and regulated sites in their respective jurisdictions, ensuring Californians play solely on legal online poker platforms.
Choosing the Right Poker Site
It’s not difficult to locate an online poker room that caters to Californian players as there are plenty! However, not all of them cater to the market on a good and safe enough level. That’s why we have gone through the full range of them and singled out the platforms that provide gamers within California with a great, safe experience.
Selecting a good online California poker room isn’t something that should just be done with little thought and consideration. After all, these are the sites that you will be depositing your money and personal information into. Online gambling shouldn’t be taken lightly by anyone. Find a site that you feel comfortable with.
All Poker and Gambling Laws by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
California Poker News
New California Law Enables Tribes to Sue Card Rooms
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law this month that could change the entire poker ecosystem in the
California Lawmakers Mull Cardroom Expansion
In the poker world, California is known for two things. One is the plethora of cardrooms for poker players throughout
California Cardroom Licenses Open for Applications Again
California has unique gambling laws. The only full-fledged casinos in the state are a part of a tribal compact for
Helpful Gambling Resources & Links
- The State Bar of California
- California's online poker problem - Los Angeles Times
- California Penal Code: Section 330
- State of California Office of Problem Gambling
- California Council on Problem Gambling
- National Council on Problem Gambling (California)
- Official State Website
- Laws/Code of California
- California Legal Guide
- California Gambling Control Commission
- California Bureau of Gambling Control
